Norton County, KS
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Norton County has experienced 13 federally declared disasters since 2005, most recently Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Norton County's highest-rated hazards are hail, drought, and strong wind, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 117% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (22nd percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Norton County has been designated in 13 declarations since 2005, covering 4 disaster types including severe storm (9), biological (2), snowstorm (1).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Straight Line Winds |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes |
Showing the 10 most recent of 13 total declarations since 2005.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 31.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 9.7 | 6 | 1 | $5K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 9.6 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 24 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 47.8 | 2 | 0 | $50K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 91.7 | 87 | 0 | $16K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 64.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 62.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 54.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 26.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 21.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 84.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 19.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Norton County ranks in the 22nd percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 22nd | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 30th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 33rd | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 39th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 15th | Very low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 38th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 39th | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 45.9% | — |
NOAA tracked 95 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 30 in 2016–20 vs 65 in 2021–25 (+117% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Norton County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Norton County, Kansas are hail, drought, and strong wind. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Norton County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Norton County has received 13 federal disaster declarations since 2005, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (9 declarations).
Has Norton County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Norton County include Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 2005.
How does Norton County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Furnas County, NE has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Graham County, KS has the lowest (Very Low). Norton County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Norton County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Norton County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Norton County's composite score of 20 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 20% of US counties.